Grain-separator



UNITED sures PATENT ornion.

S. M. WI RTZ AND F. SWIFT, OF HUDSON, MICHIGAN.

GRAIN SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 32,099, dated April 16, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, S. M. WIRTZ and F. SWIFT, of Hudson, in the countyof Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grain-Separators; and we do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying. drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1, is a longitudinal section through theimproved grain separator, taken in the vertical plane indicated by thered line w, a in Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a top View of the improved grainseparator.

Similar letters of reference indicate cor"- responding parts in bothfigures.

This invention relates to a novel arrangement of screens and inclinedboards in a vibrating shoe, for the more perfect separation of grainfrom foreign substances, as will behereinafter fully explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use our invention, wewill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the frame of the machine; B, the hopper box with aninclined sliding bottom a, and a short inclined ledge a. The lower edgeof the board a, is scalloped and the lower edge of ledge a, is alsoscalloped as shown in Fig. 2. Between these two scalloped edges of boarda, and ledge a, a transverse feed bar I), is introduced which has bothits edges scalloped. This bar I), has its end bearings in each side ofthehopper B, and the crank b, is used to rotate this feed bar. Hopperbox B, is stationary and rests on top of the frame of the machine.

Below hopper B, is arranged the shoe C, which is a movable frame hung atits rear end by straps c, c, which are connected to a horizontaltransverse bar 0, which works between vertical guides in frame A, andwhich is moved up and down by means of screws 0 0 which pass through atransverse stationary bar (Z. By means of screws 0 c thebar c, andconsequently the rear end of shoe 0, may be adjusted up or down atpleasure. The front end of shoe C, is hung by a spring strap 6, which issecured at its upper end to the middle of a cross bar 6, of frame C, asshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. At the lower end of spring strap 3 c,where this strap is secured to the shoe O,

a connecting rod 6 is secured, which passes out through a vertical slotin the end of frame C, as shown in Fig. l, and connects with ahorizontal lever 7, which is pivoted at f, and attached at its extremeouter end to a vibrating arm P, which is vibrated by an eccentric g, onone end of fan shaft g. The shoe C, is thus supported and shaken withinthe frame A.

D, is the circular fan box; D, are the fans which are constructed in themost approved manner, and rotated in the direction indicated by thearrows in Fig. l, producing a blast which is directed toward the rearend of the machine through. the shoe and controlled and properlydirected by the hinged blast board D which is hinged to the lower edgeof fan box D, and connected with a transverse shaft h, by a cord 72..The

shaft it, has its end bearings in the sides of frame A, and one end ofthis shaft h is passedthrough the side of frame A, and carries a ratchetwheel 2', which is caught and held by a pawl 6. By turning shaft 71.,the board D may be given any degree of inclination desired and thecurrents of air from the fan box D, will be more or 'less directedupward by thus adjusting the board D Immediately below the throat ofhopper box B, is arranged a screen G, on which the grain, mixed withoats, etc., first falls after leaving the hopper. The box or frame ofthis screen is pivoted at j, j, to the top edge of shoe C, over theboard G, and these pivots allow the screen G, to receive a rockingmotion when the machine is in opera-I tion. The pivots j, j, are alittle toward the forward end of the screen G, so that its front endwill have a slight preponderance as the grain, etc., passes off from iton a screen H. The screen G, is also in an inclined plane, incliningtoward the tail end of the ma chine; and the carrier board G, is alsoinclined in the same, or in about the same plane as screen G, shown inFig. l of the drawings. The screen H, which is arranged in inclinedgrooves in the sides of frame A, under the lower end of screen G, iscoarser than this screen G, and does not extend. out

to the rear end of shoe C, but discharges its J, arranged below thelower end of screen H, and inclined to the rear end of shoe C. Thepiris7c, in, pass down through the side edges of the screens H, and J, andkeep them in their proper positions, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings.A carrier board K-, in clining from a point under the front of board G,toward the rear end of shoe C, to a point under the middle of screen J,receives the pure grain from screens G, H, and J, and discharges thisgrain on a long inclined screen L, which inclines from the extreme rearend of shoe C, to the front end thereof at a point under the blast boardD as shown in Fig. 1. This latter screen L, is made up of long mesheswhich effectually separate oats, barley, etc., from the pure grainallowing such foreign substances to pass through it while the pure grainis discharged from its forward end into a drawer or other properreceptacle placed under the front edge of this screen L. The rear, ordischarging end of screen J, is carried out a suitable distance from therear end of shoe C, in order that chaff, etc., may not fall on thelowermost screen L; and in order to save all the grain which passesthrough this screen J, a short inclined board or metal plate J, issecured along the lower edge of this screen J, which board projects overthe upper end of the screen L, and discharges any grain falling on it,on the screen L. Thus we have an arrangement of four screens G, H, J,and L, three in the form of steps, one being slightly above the otherand in rear of the other, while the fourth screen L, is arranged underthe two screens H, and J, and also receives the pure grain from theuppermost screen G. The screen G, is designed to discharge cockle andchess and is furnished with a spout to carry the foul stuff out of themill in the full sized machine. The grain which passes over screen Gr,drops through screen H, on the board K, thence to the screen'L, and thegrain which escapes the screen H, falls on screen J, passes through thislatter screen and falls directly on the lowermost screen L. Thus thisscreen L, will ultimately receive the grain from all the screens, andthis latter screen being made up of long wire meshes allows the oats,barley, short straw, etc., which may have escaped from either of thepreceding screens, to fall through and leave the pure grain to pass overthis screen L, into the drawer or box for receiving it as beforedescribed. Screen L, is allowed to have a free longitudinal play in thebottom of shoe C, and the two short springs m, m, which project up fromthe ends of shoe C, give to the screen L, a quick rebound at eachmovement of the shoe 0, which has the effect of keeping the meshes ofthe screen open, by preventing the oats and light grain from clogging upthese meshes. It is found in practice that a slight upward or downwardknock will keep the meshes of the screen open, and that the action ofsprings m, m, upon the screen will give the required blow to effect thisobject.

The operation of the entire machine is as follows: Motion iscommunicated to the fan shaft 9', through the belt N, from anyconvenient prime mover and the fans D revolve in the direction indicatedby arrows in Fig. 1., and the currents of air are conducted from fan boxD, toward the lower screws H, J, L, as also indicated by the arrows inFig. 1. The direction of the currents of air from the fan box arecontrolled by adjusting the board D to a more or less inclined positionas before described. The fan shaft 9, gives a vibrating motion to lever7, through eccentric g, and the arm f and this vibrating motion of leverf, is transmitted toth'e shoe C, through connecting rod 0 The shoe C,being suspended from frame A, by the spring straps c, c, and e, isallowed to receive a free shaking motion which is found best suited tothe desired purpose. The machine being thus set in motion the grain,mixed with the usual impurities, is put into hopper B, and fed from thishopper on the screen G, which is hung on pivots j, j. On this screen G,the grain, etc., is agitated not only by the motion of the shoe C, butby the rocking or tossing motion of the screen itself in the shoe C.This double concussive motion of the screen Gr, prevents its meshes fromclogging, and keeps the lighter and coarser particles, straws, etc., ontop of the grain, and the former are then rapidly pitched toward therear end of screen G, and on the coarser screen H. The grain whichpasses over the screen G, (mixed with fine particles of foreignsubstances) falls on the inclined board G, which rapidly discharges iton the inclined board K, and thence it falls on the screen L, where itis again submitted to a cleaning operation and finally discharged. Thegrain, etc., which falls on the coarser screen H, is here subjected tothe blast from fan box D, and the pure grain falls through this blast onthe board K, while the impurities which are further mixed with grain,after leaving screen H, fall on the zinc screen J, which is also underthe influence of the blast from fan box D. This latter screen dischargesthe grain partially on the board K, and partially on the screen L, andduring these several operations, while all the foreign substances areblown and shaken out of the machine the pure grain is conducted back,over screen L, and collected at the bottom of this screen.

To fully understand the advantages of this improved arrangement ofscreens with the carrier boards, it must be known that a machine withcoarse screens sufficient to discharge the grain fast enough forpractical purposes, will let through a large portion of the oats, etc'.,mixed With the grain, and if a blast is applied sufiicient to drive outthe oats a great portion of the Wheat is unavoidably carried away Withthe lighter grain. On the other hand, ifperfora-ted Zinc, or any of themore perfect screens are employed such an extent of screening surface isnecessary that the machine is rendered expensive and'un- Wieldy, besidesit will be a very SlOW cleaner. We obtain in our arrangement of screensthe advantage of both kinds of screens and a perfect separation of thegrain Within the frame of the machine, the blast forcing the impuregrain on a finer set of screens after passing through a coarser set,While the pure grain passes under the finer set of screens thus dividingthe labor of the screens.

Having thus described our invention, What We claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let-- ters Patent, is;

1. Hanging the screen G, on pivots j, j, in shoe C, operating as and forthe purposes 7 herein set forth.

2. Arranging the inclined screen L, Within shoe C, so that said screenWill have an end play and strike against pieces 7%, m, as, and

for the purposes herein set forth.

S. M. VVIRTZ. F. SVIFT.

Vitnesses to Virtz:

ALONZO PALMER, E. P. HoToHKIss.

Vitnesses to Swift:

LORENZO PALMER, A. A. SoU'rHWoR'rI-I.

